Denver (CNN) - As Mitt Romney headed into the crunch period of debate preparation with a heavy weight of expectations on his shoulders, he told a sprawling Denver audience that the Wednesday night match-up against President Barack Obama wasn't about a scoring a win.

"People want to know who's going to win - who's going to score the punches and who's going to make the biggest difference in the arguments they make," Romney said. "You know, in my view, it's not so much winning and losing or even the people themselves - the president and myself - it's about something bigger than that."FULL POST

Henderson, Nevada (CNN) – In her latest stop in a key battleground state, Ann Romney on Monday continued pushing hard for her husband's candidacy – by, once again, highlighting his softer side.

The wife of the Republican presidential candidate spoke to an audience of less than a thousand people at the Henderson Convention Center, about eight miles away from the hotel where President Obama is staying while he prepares for Wednesday night's first presidential debate.FULL POST

(CNN) – In their second debate in the Massachusetts Senate race, Republican Sen. Scott Brown on Monday sought to cement his image as an independent fighter, while Democratic opponent Elizabeth Warren attempted to tie the senator to the conservative base of the Republican Party.

"I vote about 50 percent with my party and about 50 percent with the Democratic Party," Brown said at the debate, held at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. "That's a lot different than what Professor Warren would do."FULL POST

Philadelphia (CNN) – A Pennsylvania judge is expected to rule Tuesday whether or not to uphold a new state law requiring every voter to present a photo ID at the polls.

Supporters argue that the law signed in March by Republican Gov. Tom Corbett will prevent voter fraud and is upheld by the constitution. But opponents counter that the new law will disenfranchise voters, and any implementation should be postponed until after the November 6 presidential election.

Washington (CNN) – When it comes to reaching voters, the co-founders of a Jewish super PAC aimed at re-electing President Barack Obama have this tip for you: Use humor, even if it isn't kosher.

Two campaign videos produced by the Jewish Council for Education and Research – one featuring actor Samuel L. Jackson, the other comedian Sarah Silverman – have received a flood of attention over the past few weeks. A foul-mouthed Silverman pushes people to do whatever it takes to make it to the polls in spite of voter ID laws, while an uncensored Jackson orders disenchanted Obama supporters to "wake the f*** up" and get to work.

(CNN) – A new poll released Monday indicates President Barack Obama has expanded his margin over Mitt Romney in New Hampshire and now leads his Republican opponent by 15 points.

Fifty-two percent of likely voters say they will vote for the president, while 37% say they back Romney, according to the latest WMUR Granite State Poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.FULL POST

Henderson, Nevada (CNN) – President Barack Obama took a break Monday from his debate prep for a thank-you stop at one of his local campaign offices.

While visiting the South Henderson Obama for America office, he sat down to make calls to several campaign workers to thank them for their work. When asked how he was enjoying his debate preparation time in Las Vegas, he responded, "Basically they're keeping me indoors all the time. It's a drag," he joked. "They're making me do my homework."FULL POST

Washington (CNN) – Mitt Romney’s chief fund-raisers emailed campaign donors Monday assuring them that their contributions are being spent wisely - and aggressively – in the closing chapter of the presidential campaign.

In the memo to donors provided to CNN by a Republican source on Monday, National Finance Chairmen Spencer Zwick and Mason Fink wrote that the campaign is unleashing a “robust” spending effort for the final month of the race.FULL POST

(CNN) – President Barack Obama's re-election campaign announced a new ad linking Mitt Romney's former private equity firm to a Chinese appliance company that Team Obama says relied on American outsourcing for its success.

The 30-second commercial, announced Monday, will air on television in seven battleground states - New Hampshire, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado, Nevada.FULL POST